Base-ball shoe.



No. 860,024. PATBNTED JULY 16,1907.

- D. J. GOLDEN.

BASE BALL SHOE.

AP-PLIOATION rum: we. 4. 190a.

1n: NORRIS PETERS C0,, WASHINGTON, n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BASE-BALL SHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1907.

Application filed August 4, 1906, Serial No. 329.198.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL J. GOLDEN, of Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Base-Ball Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a shoe for use by ball players, which is of great flexibility and is also adapted to keep its shape under all circumstances, and will. not chafe the foot of the wearer.

The particular object of the invention is to so construct and stiffen the shoe that it will not lose its shape while the wearer is pressing upon the side of his foot in running or batting, or throwing a ball, and will protect the upper near its attachment to the sole against injury due to the excessive fiexion induced by these movements; This object and also the object of securing an upper of great flexibility and incapable of permanent distortion are attained in the shoe hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings,'-Figure 1 represents a perspective view, and Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of such a shoe constructed to be worn on the right foot.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in both figures. V

Referring to the drawings, a represents the upper of a shoe constructed in accordance with my invention, which for the purpose of securing as great flexibility as possible and perfect fit, is made of asingle piece of leather cut to pattern, and has its ends connected together by a single seam at the back. This avoids liability of error and misfit due to sewing together a number of pieces to form a built-up upper.

The upper is attached to the sole b.by any of the approved methods in common use, but preferably by means of a Welt, and is stiffened at the back by means of a counter stiffener of the usual form, which is placed outside of the upper leather a and is inclosed by a ioxing 0 extending around the counter from one side of the shank to the other. This foxing also has a tongue 6 which extends to the top of the upper and covers the seam at the back thereof.

The upper is provided in front with the usual lacing slit 01 under which extends a tongue 0, while the edges of the slit and the top of the upper are strengthened by a facing or binding strip f which consists of a single piece extending integrally entirely around the lacing slit and having its ends connected to the upper a at the back of the shoe. This facing being stitched to the upper strengthens the same and prevents stretching and distortion thereof. Since the facing is in one piece, there is no danger of its being permitted to part and allow the edge of the upper to loosen. The usual eyelets g for the lacing are set in the upper leather and facing on each side of the slit d. When the edges of the slit are drawn together thereby, the top of the upper is caused to embrace the ankle closely without possibility of stretching.

On the forward part of the shoe is attached a protector h which is of great stiffness, being made preferably of sole leather. This protector or stiffener is secured to the sole outside of the upper and stitched to the latter along its upper edge. Instead of going directly across the toe, from side to side, as in the usual form of shoe, it is Wholly on one side, being on that portion which comes on the inner side of the wearers foot. jacent the inner edge of the latter beside the ball portion, and extends from the point i at the middle portion of the toe around the ball, terminating finally at the point j near the shank. The stiffener is molded to the shape of a lasted shoe, and has its upper or outer edge reversely curved so as to accommodate itself to the shoe. It will retain its shape under all circumstances and resist tendency of the upper to bend when'the player presses hard upon the inner side of his foot. Thus it prevents the upper being distorted when such pressure is applied, and also gives a support for the wearers foot. By means of this stiffener and protector, the fatigue of the player is diminished and his strength preserved, while at the same time the life of the shoe is lengthened and its flexibility on the outside of the foot is not only not impaired in the slightest, but is made greater than is the case with shoes having toe stiffeners of the ordinary kind. This also is a feature which tends to conserve the strength of the player.

I claim:

1. A base-ball shoe having a stiff protector extending from the middle part of the toe around the ball on the inner side of the shoe to the shank, and secured to the sole.

2. A base-ball shoe comprising an upper made from a single piece of flexible leather, a counter stiffener, a sole, and a ball-stiffener and protector secured to the side of the upper and to the sole near its inner edge, and extending from the middle part of the toe around the hall to the shank, the outer side of the shoe being of unimpaired flexibility.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

' DANIEL J. GOLDEN.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN,

E. BATCHELDER.

Its lower part is attached to the sole ad- 

